Embankment-protector.



' No. 722,445. PATENTBD MAR. 10, 1903.

E. M. BOYNTON.

EMBANKMENT PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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EBEN MOODY BOYNTON, OF WEST NEWBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

' 'ENI BAN KM ENT-PROTECTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,445, dated MarchlO, 1903.

Application filed August Z, 1902.

To @ZZ whom it may con/ 067cm Be it known that I, EBEN MOODY BoYNToN, ofWest Newbury, in thecounty'of Essex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Embankment- Protectors, ofwhich the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification.

My invention relates to the protection and preservation ofrailroad-banks or shores of dams, canals, lakes, dac., against theeffects of washouts, rains, or the action of waves or storms, of whichthe following is a description and specification, reference'being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of the invention is to produce such a surface on embankmentsor similar slanting earth walls that running water shall be unable todislodge the surface particles of sand and stone, and thereby eithergradually or under other circumstances in a few moments transfer suchsurface particles to a lower level-such as, for instance, of arailroad-track-where it not alone may cause great inconvenience andexpense in removing it, but, as often happens, be the direct cause ofgreat loss of life. This refers also to the banks of canals, dams, andriver-fronts, where also during spring'freshets the banks are liable tobe slowly washed away and cause v floods in the surrounding country. Iprevent this gradual or sudden disintegration by imitating natures`methods when .it wishes toobtain the same results-that is, by producinga mat of living green vegetation, bushes, or shrubs the roots of whichare so tightly in: terlaced that even the smallest particles of earthare gripped and held in such a manner that running water is unable toremove it. I produce these living vegetable mats by depositing on thesurface a network of living willow sticks or other sticks thatwilleasily grow and set roots in the ground provided for it. Thisnetwork is then covered with earth to provide it with the necessaryconditions for growth. The special claims of my invention refer to themeans whereby said willow sticks are connected with each other and withother logs or posts to keep them securely anchored whilethey are in theprocess of growing, and thus prevent their washing away before they havebeen able to secure Serial Il'o. 118.158. (No model.)

that will allow them to be easily transported and'deposited on thedesired places.

Figure l is a perspective view showing a railroad-track with anembankment, the latter being covered with a series of sticks that .areconnected with each other and with intervening logs vby means of metalwire. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail view where the sticks areinsertedin the links of a chain and the ends of the chain fastened toposts that may be inserted in the ground. Fig. 3 is a partialcross-section of Fig. l, showing the method of lacing the stickstogether by means of metal wires. Fig. 4 shows another method ofsecuring the sticks in position. In this view ordinary wire fencing isused, in whose meshes the vsticks are inserted, the fencing itself beingnailed at intervals to larger logs. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of Fig; 4.In Fig. 6 the sticks themselves are woven together, thereby holdingthemselves mutually in position. In Fig. 7 some vertical stakes are usedto retain the sticks in their position, and in'Fig. 8 a plank is usedfor the same purpose.

In all the figures, ct represents the willow sticks, and b the largerlogs that hold them in position.

In Fig. l the sticks a are laced together by means o f the metallicWires or fibrous cords d, as shown more fully in Fig. 3. These wires orAcords pass over the logs b, where blocks c are nailed down to retainthe wires in position. There are seen to be two series of sticks,

represent the sticks and logs in position ready to be covered withearth, but that the latter has been left out in order to show theconstituent element of the mats.

ICO

In some cases the logs b may be omitted and stakes g inserted in theground, as shown in Fig. 2, Where the Wire also has been replaced by achain in Whose links the sticks have been inserted. Where shorter sticksare to be utilized, it may be of advantage to use something like thewire-netting or iibrous netting shown in Fig. 4, Where sticks may beinserted anyplace in the meshes and held in their proper place. Thenetting itself is held to the larger log b by means of staples c'. Therelation between sticks and log is also shown in Fig. 5, which is across-section of Fig. 4.

When it is desirable to use numerous small fibers, then they may be heldin position by being Woven together in the manner shown in Fig. 6.

The methods of restraining the fibers and sticks from motion that wereshown in Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5 may also be dispensed with and thoseshown in Figs. '7 and S used in their place. In Fig. 7 logs Z are used.They are scribed to receive the sticks o. and are then held togethereither by means of loops of rope or Wires m or by means of spikes n.They may be tied to stakes g, driven in the ground. In Fig. 8 a plank 7chas been scribed in a similar manner and spikes 'n driven through thesticks a to retain them in their places.

I claiml. The herein-described means for protecting embankments orshores from erosion which consists of rods, stems or cuttings of liveWood laid down upon and so far bedded into the soil of such embankmentsor shores as to sprout and take root therein, substantially asset forth.

2. The herein-described means of preventbankment and substantiallytransverse to the direction of ow of the eroding Waters.

4. A protection for embankments consisting of rods, stems or cuttings oflive Wood laid down upon such embankment, and so united together as tobe retained in given relative position substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with supports of larger dimensions laid upon andembedded in the embankment of rods, stems, or cutting of live wood,disposed adjacent thereto, and means for tying or uniting the latter tothe former, substantially as described.

6. The combination of branches or sticks of live wood with each other,in such manner as to constitute a mat capable of being transported toposition, and bedded upon an embankment so as to take root thereon.

7. The combination with a mat formed of connected stems or sticks oflive Wood of anchorage adapted to be sunk in an embanknient.

8. The combination With branches or sticks of live Wood, of wires orcords connecting said sticks together to form a mat substantially asdescribed.

EBEN MOODY BOYNTON.

Witnesses:

ANNIE E. BROWN,

SARAH E. MULLIKEN.

